iPhone 12 mini Undecided - 12 or 12 mini?

[taneff]

my 12 pro is too heavy and Max is worse. Apple really need to reconsider steel in pro models. Weight is the only thing I envy the normal 12 and even more the mini.

Exactly. When I read comments about strength because of phone weight I just wonder what education those people have. As if a phone feels heavy because you have weak arms or grip. Of course you get used to it, human beings get used to everything with time. That doesn't mean it's automatically good or healthy. And it has nothing to do with grip strength. If a person with not so tiny hands couldn't hold a Pro Max for several minutes because of grip strength this person would have serious health issues, esp. muscle issues. Serious issues, no joke.

I've just written here that I also use the normal 12 next to my Mini atm. And it feels heavy when holding it in hands because I normally use the 30g lighter Mini. That doesn't mean I have weak grip or whatever but of course I would think the 12 is very light when I would use it next to a 12 Pro or even Max. It's all about adaptation. The iPhone Pro 11s and 12s are one of the heaviest phones out there, maybe THE heaviest compared to similar sized phones from Android. Of course that also makes it feel more luxurious and of higher quality.
I too think that the worst thing about the Pro series is it's weight. More so this year with the WAY lighter 12 and 12 Mini.

 

[Breaking Good]

Just I don’t see why should I let go my iPad Pro. Anyway thanks.

I never said you had to let go of it. Carry the mini with you when you are out and about. Use the iPad Pro when you are at home or when you know you'll need the extra size/power.

 

[prazakj]

I never said you had to let go of it. Carry the mini with you when you are out and about. Use the iPad Pro when you are at home or when you know you'll need the extra size/power.

Sorry for my agressive tone, thank you for your point of view. It does stays like that at this moment. 🙂

 

[Fozamo]

Hello everybody, my 14-days test is at the end. And I have come to conclusion, which I will put in the end so you have to read it whole. 😀

My complaints about XS were fixed with iPhone 12 mini (smaller size, usable with one hand and weight with round design). iPhone 12 mini fits absolutely in my workflow and my products line. I still use my iPhone the same amount of time and haven't had problem with battery life in any of them (at least comparing Xs, 12 mini and regular 12 - of course the latter has the biggest usage, but for me those few percent didn't made a lot of impact).

Pros for 12
1) Readability. Everything in iOS seems just right with bigger display. From text to opening PDF files.
2) Battery life. Everyday I got approximately 10-20% more of my iPhone. I could be better in future when it will be possible to travel, but these days who cares? Still even if I need some more juice, I'm in my work, in car or at home. I don't know this will stand in long term, but Apple Care+ I could easily replace my battery at the end of 2 year spell. Recently I recorded a lot of videos in 4k 60fps and it was great using this bigger machine. But at the end of the end, it wouldn't much of a problem to use smaller one. Still it would certainly lasted shorter time.

Cons for 12
1) Size. Yes, we all know this. After almost 14 days I wasn't able to use it properly with one my hand. It feels slippery in my hand and despite that cut on my left hand (which is now without the bandage) I couldn't learn how to use it not to feel to drop it. Writing with both hands are fine, but being afraid about that phone when I'm taking out of my pocket is a real issue for me personally. My thumb hurts when I'm using it for a longer period in my bed laying on my side and side of the phone is on the bed. I never had that much ache in my hand before.
2) Grip. Because of that size I more often need to use that phone both hands. That's an issue for me - when I'm outside for a walk, paying in the shop (and typing the passcode - still not convinced about Apple Watch, but considering it now) or just quick message. All the time I needed that second hand, which for example is out of the question with groceries in my other hand.
3) Weight. Man, that size comes with bigger weight. I knew it, I was prepared for it and still didn't expect it that much. So many times it feels too strange to hold it in my hands. I don't know why, I can't explain it - it's a feeling. We often decide many things based on our feelings, so maybe it helped me to decide too.

Final
Well as you can see, trying regular 12 has some upsides and downsides. Every person is different, I don't watch much videos on my phone, don't do many socials and I don't a phone at a size of a tablet. I have only wish from Apple: keeping the mini in the lineup at least for a next two years. That means we could be happy for a longer period of time to use it. I was happy with him after a few months but I had some doubts. Now I don't have any and I was really happy, when I put my personal SIM to mini. Oh that was like a burden not to have a light and one-hand usable phone in my hand.

Tips for Apple
Despite I hate ultrawide I have been using it for those videos I mentioned above and it was great for inside shooting. But I think I would be fine with "normal" wide lens with ease. Still, I would love to see telephoto in future in mini and regular 13 (or other names?). If it will get more battery based on newer chip, thicker body or better technology, it just couldn't be a bad thing at all. It would be just a nice addition to a perfect phone I love these days.

Missing piece
Sadly admiting that even I never thought about that a lot - I do miss 3D Touch. I will remember XS maybe just because of this technology. I never thought that this could make such an impact for me, honestly.

Thank you for your comments and patience with me.

Good review. How is battery life of the mini compared to your old XS?

 

[stanza.richi]

Good review. How is battery life of the mini compared to your old XS?

Passed from XS to 12 mini two months ago. 12 mini a little bit better than previous 2 years-old XS, quite the same compared with just replaced XS with AC+.

 

[prazakj]

Good review. How is battery life of the mini compared to your old XS?

Thank you. Mini is slightly better, most notably because of newer hardware. I didn’t have any issues with switching from XS to mini with seeing less battery percentage at the same time in the evening.

 

[furou]

I’m trying to decide between the mini and regular. The main issue I have with the mini is that the notch gets in the way of the UI.
For example, the cellular bars are cramped underneath the curvature of the notch.
In Safari, holding the mini in landscape the notch blocks Safari tabs.
In Files when reading a pdf in landscape it cuts the small pill with the page number.
And in YouTube, in videos in a certain format, the black bars don’t cover the notch and you get a noticeable black strip protruding into the video. Also other apps I use have their elements too close to the notch and feel unoptimized.
None of this happens on the regular iPhone 12.
prazakj, what are your thoughts on this?

 

[prazakj]

I’m trying to decide between the mini and regular. The main issue I have with the mini is that the notch gets in the way of the UI.
For example, the cellular bars are cramped underneath the curvature of the notch.
In Safari, holding the mini in landscape the notch blocks Safari tabs.
In Files when reading a pdf in landscape it cuts the small pill with the page number.
And in YouTube, in videos in a certain format, the black bars don’t cover the notch and you get a noticeable black strip protruding into the video. Also other apps I use have their elements too close to the notch and feel unoptimized.
None of this happens on the regular iPhone 12.
prazakj, what are your thoughts on this?

If you have these issues, go for regular 12. I sometimes like the bigger too, but for me using in one hand (from paying, to typing on the go) is something I can’t get on regular 12. I never had these issues like you wrote here so maybe our habits are different. But both are great phones.

 

[yticolev]

In Safari, holding the mini in landscape the notch blocks Safari tabs.

Interesting. I've used the iPhone since iPhone 4 and I've not once used Safari in landscape or remember feeling a need. Possibly to view a photo on a webpage would be handy, but I've never done that. Of course, that might be similar to taking a photo in landscape. In fact in general, I have so little need for landscape that I have it locked out as it can be a nuisance. I did take a recent trip and noticed Netflix appropriately switched to landscape when actually playing a movie even with the lock on.

Not sure I understand how the notch blocks tabs though. They don't display in a manner that the notch would block. But whatever issue you are having in landscape would appear in any size screen, right?

 

[Robbosan]

The worst thing about the 12 and mini is screen brightness, lower nits, I have been using a 12 for 4 months and was disappointed coming from a 11 pro, and as soon as i fired up my new pro max it was like night and day. We also have a Xr and 7 in the family and even they are brighter. Makes a big difference here with outdoor use i can see the screen now, and even in a holder in the car.
It's a rort they should all be the same.

 

[prazakj]

Interesting. I've used the iPhone since iPhone 4 and I've not once used Safari in landscape or remember feeling a need. Possibly to view a photo on a webpage would be handy, but I've never done that. Of course, that might be similar to taking a photo in landscape. In fact in general, I have so little need for landscape that I have it locked out as it can be a nuisance. I did take a recent trip and noticed Netflix appropriately switched to landscape when actually playing a movie even with the lock on.

Not sure I understand how the notch blocks tabs though. They don't display in a manner that the notch would block. But whatever issue you are having in landscape would appear in any size screen, right?

I have the same experience. From my iPhone 5 I have constantly screen locked in portrait mode.

 

[prazakj]

The worst thing about the 12 and mini is screen brightness, lower nits, I have been using a 12 for 4 months and was disappointed coming from a 11 pro, and as soon as i fired up my new pro max it was like night and day. We also have a Xr and 7 in the family and even they are brighter. Makes a big difference here with outdoor use i can see the screen now, and even in a holder in the car.
It's a rort they should all be the same.

Wow, I didn’t see any differencies. Truth is, I only compare 12 and 12 mini which is similar (only mini seems to me a bit yellowish). I saw 12 Pro Max only for a few minutes with my friend and didn’t see anything differencies. But it was only for a few moments. So maybe you can be correct.

 

[Robbosan]

Wow, I didn’t see any differencies. Truth is, I only compare 12 and 12 mini which is similar (only mini seems to me a bit yellowish). I saw 12 Pro Max only for a few minutes with my friend and didn’t see anything differencies. But it was only for a few moments. So maybe you can be correct.

12 pro and max = 800 nits max brightness (typical)
12 and mini = 625 nits max brightness (typical)

The pro's are 22% brighter big difference, maybe if you live in Antartica and never go outside or anywhere hot you may not care lol.

 

[furou]

Interesting. I've used the iPhone since iPhone 4 and I've not once used Safari in landscape or remember feeling a need. Possibly to view a photo on a webpage would be handy, but I've never done that. Of course, that might be similar to taking a photo in landscape. In fact in general, I have so little need for landscape that I have it locked out as it can be a nuisance. I did take a recent trip and noticed Netflix appropriately switched to landscape when actually playing a movie even with the lock on.

Not sure I understand how the notch blocks tabs though. They don't display in a manner that the notch would block. But whatever issue you are having in landscape would appear in any size screen, right?

This is kind of what I’m referring, the tab is cut by the notch being so wide on the mini. On the 12 this doesn’t happen and the line isn’t interrupted by the notch.
It just seems like the screen resolution isn’t optimized for the notch, or it’s too big.
I bought the mini and I have the 12 as a loaner from work so I’m testing both for a couple of weeks before deciding what to keep.

 

[prazakj]

12 pro and max = 800 nits max brightness (typical)
12 and mini = 625 nits max brightness (typical)

The pro's are 22% brighter big difference, maybe if you live in Antartica and never go outside or anywhere hot you may not care lol.

Well if you are right you don’t need to be offensive right away. I wrote that I saw Max just for a few minutes and it wasn’t something I noticed immediately. So for me personally, I would have to compare it side by side which wasn’t that case. I think that this isn’t something that would be a dealbreaker for anybody to choose phone because of it. But if you are one of these types, than maybe for someone it is a big deal. 🤷🏼‍♂️😉

 

[yticolev]

View attachment 1743371
This is kind of what I’m referring, the tab is cut by the notch being so wide on the mini. On the 12 this doesn’t happen and the line isn’t interrupted by the notch.
It just seems like the screen resolution isn’t optimized for the notch, or it’s too big.
I bought the mini and I have the 12 as a loaner from work so I’m testing both for a couple of weeks before deciding what to keep.

Just tried that on my Mini and the view is the same. Clearly my first time in landscape as I had no idea there would be tabs like the Mac Safari! However neither on your posted picture or my own Mini does the notch interfere with the tabs. If you have tabs to the left, you just click on the leftmost tab and more appear, just like a MacOS Safari page with lots of tabs. I had like 20 tabs open so I had to repeat that several times - usually takes me twice on my Mac browser.

I think if I enjoyed that view, I'd be more unhappy with the tabs and address bar taking up so much vertical viewing area - massive compared to the now side notch in landscape.

 

[yticolev]

The pro's are 22% brighter big difference, maybe if you live in Antartica and never go outside or anywhere hot you may not care lol.

Might require Antartica! I have no issue seeing my screen in direct sunlight. Not as good as a reading tablet of course, but even 22% brighter will require shade to be comfortable using for any length of time. I'm not sure if you brought the brightness up to the level of outdoor billboards that you would want to use it in direct sunlight. It would be like looking into a searchlight. So there is probably a point of too much - which can never be reached without a 240 volt mains connection.

I also doubt that brightness is responsible for sales of larger models. One out of several thousand users perhaps. All iPhones are bright enough. No harm in more brightness of course, other than battery life, and if battery life is a current concern at the moment you have the option to turn it down of course. Remember max brightness is not often with auto brightness on.

 

[Robbosan]

Remember max brightness is not often with auto brightness on.

eh soon as you go outside in the sun it is lol.

I also doubt that brightness is responsible for sales of larger models.

didn't say it was said i noticed the diff once i fired up the max.

Not as good as a reading tablet of course, but even 22% brighter will require shade to be comfortable using for any length of time.

no one is going to sit in the sun for ages reading a iPad/iphone screen.
that is not the point.

 

[yticolev]

no one is going to sit in the sun for ages reading a iPad/iphone screen.
that is not the point.

I think it is. What is the point of 22% brighter if you are not going to use it in direct sun for more than a second? You still are going to turn so your screen is shaded by your body. Not much of a selling point that you want to make of it. Screens are bright enough now - this is now a silly horse race for marketing. If you want to discuss phones from 5 years ago by comparison, yes, those could be problematic in bright conditions even shaded.

 

[secretk]

I think it is. What is the point of 22% brighter if you are not going to use it in direct sun for more than a second? You still are going to turn so your screen is shaded by your body. Not much of a selling point that you want to make of it. Screens are bright enough now - this is now a silly horse race for marketing. If you want to discuss phones from 5 years ago by comparison, yes, those could be problematic in bright conditions even shaded.

For me there is still a point for the brighter screen. Yes I won't read a book on an iPad/iPhone in direct sun but this does not mean that I would not have other needs. For example let's say that I am hiking outside in direct sun light. I would want to use the camera most probably, GPS as well.

Now I am not saying that this should be the only factor to buy a phone, but it is definitely something that is nice to have and can be useful.

That being said I also confirm that no matter how brighter the iPhone 12 Pro screen is, it still was not good enough for me for direct sun light. Basically I had taken some photos with the Portrait mode and I wanted to check the depth of field. As bright as the screen was, it was not enough for me to be able to check the colors of the photo or the focus and I still had to find shade to do this.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I’ve used my iPhone 12 a couple of times in the sunshine and have not had any issues with seeing the screen clearly. Even the reviews I’ve seen that discuss this say it’s minimal. It’s also a bit of an irrelevant comparison of some live in really sunny countries and other don’t.

 

[taneff]

Well if you are right you don’t need to be offensive right away. I wrote that I saw Max just for a few minutes and it wasn’t something I noticed immediately. So for me personally, I would have to compare it side by side which wasn’t that case. I think that this isn’t something that would be a dealbreaker for anybody to choose phone because of it. But if you are one of these types, than maybe for someone it is a big deal. 🤷🏼‍♂️😉

The whole 12 series tends to have bad displays, all of them, some more, some less, not specific to any model. Yellow tint, green tint, raised blacks and what bothers me the most and almost no one writes about it, way too low auto brightness. That is indeed true, compared to all the other older generations. I don't know why, it has to be SW related. I had several Mini's because of bad display quality and all had way too low auto brightness, I always needed to adjust it manually and set it higher. My thought is that Apple maybe lowered auto brightness by a lot because battery life would be way worth with the normal auto brightness of the devices in the years before. So even worth than it is now. And people would stick with their older iPhones. Really, Apple really messed up this years displays like never before, quality of manufacture AND SW. But, and that is the point, there is almost no difference in auto brightness in any 12 model besides being in very lighted rooms or outside. Then yes, you can see a difference, but not under normal circumstances.

ATM I own the normal 12 and 12 Mini, almost no difference besides the normal display differences. I have a TPU screen protector on my Mini which could have an affect on brightness maybe making the display of the Mini a little darker. I had the 12 Pro Max for a short time, almost as low of auto brightness inside. I imagine in the sun you can notice a big difference though...

 

[prazakj]

The whole 12 series tends to have bad displays, all of them, some more, some less, not specific to any model. Yellow tint, green tint, raised blacks and what bothers me the most and almost no one writes about it, way too low auto brightness. That is indeed true, compared to all the other older generations. I don't know why, it has to be SW related. I had several Mini's because of bad display quality and all had way too low auto brightness, I always needed to adjust it manually and set it higher. My thought is that Apple maybe lowered auto brightness by a lot because battery life would be way worth with the normal auto brightness of the devices in the years before. So even worth than it is now. And people would stick with their older iPhones. Really, Apple really messed up this years displays like never before, quality of manufacture AND SW. But, and that is the point, there is almost no difference in auto brightness in any 12 model besides being in very lighted rooms or outside. Then yes, you can see a difference, but not under normal circumstances.

ATM I own the normal 12 and 12 Mini, almost no difference besides the normal display differences. I have a TPU screen protector on my Mini which could have an affect on brightness maybe making the display of the Mini a little darker. I had the 12 Pro Max for a short time, almost as low of auto brightness inside. I imagine in the sun you can notice a big difference though...

Thank you for your encouragement. It saddens me that when I put this amount of time to testing these devices and write this down here, somebody wants to be super-bad-ass about such a small issue (for many).

I see your point. I think that my last XS was way better manufactured and sometimes I miss those days. I agree that this yellowishness (is that a word? 😀) and other colors are quite strange for 12 models. Hopefully we will see some improvement in 12s/13 series.

Can I ask why do you own both of the 12? Do you have a usage for both of them? And last one: how are you doing with typing while switching from one to another? For me was this one of the toughest test in a long time. I had no issue when going from SE to 7, then to XS. It was always such a nice move forward. This year it was really strange for me and because of the restrictions in our country this month I still have the 12 at home until I will be able to return it to my friend. I like both of them for some different tasks which for example was with 7 or XS unbelievable easy. I don't know why - time has changed? 😀

 

[taneff]

Thank you for your encouragement. It saddens me that when I put this amount of time to testing these devices and write this down here, somebody wants to be super-bad-ass about such a small issue (for many).

I see your point. I think that my last XS was way better manufactured and sometimes I miss those days. I agree that this yellowishness (is that a word? 😀) and other colors are quite strange for 12 models. Hopefully we will see some improvement in 12s/13 series.

Can I ask why do you own both of the 12? Do you have a usage for both of them? And last one: how are you doing with typing while switching from one to another? For me was this one of the toughest test in a long time. I had no issue when going from SE to 7, then to XS. It was always such a nice move forward. This year it was really strange for me and because of the restrictions in our country this month I still have the 12 at home until I will be able to return it to my friend. I like both of them for some different tasks which for example was with 7 or XS unbelievable easy. I don't know why - time has changed? 😀

A little longer hahaaaaa.

I am a little torn because I travel a LOT for work, well almost 100%, even now. So normally a bigger phone would be better for time with no work during work, to read or browse the web or maybe watch a YT video or soccer game without always having to pull out the iPad mini. I would have a lot more use out of the normal 12 than the Mini. And it was on sale on amazon 150€ cheaper, so I couldn't resist. But I just love the 12 Mini size too much. The 12 is too big in my small, but not tiny, hands. Not really heavy but the weight difference still is noticeable. But the size is the main complaint. I also do feel like the normal 11, my previous phone with almost same size but heavier, was easier to hold than the 12. It can only be the rounded sides which makes it more comfortable. I have written the following before on a thread, iOS on the 12 or bigger just seems like a bigger version of the 12 Mini iOS. It looks too big on the 12, not even talking about the 12 Pro Max. So much wastes space. My eyes aren't the best but these big icons and so much space in between those, totally a waste and way too big even for me. Not a secret and nothing new. But if you compare it, it is very noticeable. Feels like everything bigger than the 5.8 iPhones look like a zoomed resolution. Like zoomed display mode, not standard which is current setting. iOS never really got adapted to every display bigger than 5.8 inch. Looks ugly. 12 Mini looks very good in standard mode. Only text size in third party apps is way too small which is very annoying to be honest. Another + for the 12 Mini compared to the normal 12. I think I will return the 12, not keeping it as a second device. I wouldn't lose much money if I would resell it some months later. But I just don't use it, it always lays on the table. Always taking the 12 Mini with me.

I have a very similar situation to yours.

 

[prazakj]

A little longer hahaaaaa.

I am a little torn because I travel a LOT for work, well almost 100%, even now. So normally a bigger phone would be better for time with no work during work, to read or browse the web or maybe watch a YT video or soccer game without always having to pull out the iPad mini. I would have a lot more use out of the normal 12 than the Mini. And it was on sale on amazon 150€ cheaper, so I couldn't resist. But I just love the 12 Mini size too much. The 12 is too big in my small, but not tiny, hands. Not really heavy but the weight difference still is noticeable. But the size is the main complaint. I also do feel like the normal 11, my previous phone with almost same size but heavier, was easier to hold than the 12. It can only be the rounded sides which makes it more comfortable. I have written the following before on a thread, iOS on the 12 or bigger just seems like a bigger version of the 12 Mini iOS. It looks too big on the 12, not even talking about the 12 Pro Max. So much wastes space. My eyes aren't the best but these big icons and so much space in between those, totally a waste and way too big even for me. Not a secret and nothing new. But if you compare it, it is very noticeable. Feels like everything bigger than the 5.8 iPhones look like a zoomed resolution. Like zoomed display mode, not standard which is current setting. iOS never really got adapted to every display bigger than 5.8 inch. Looks ugly. 12 Mini looks very good in standard mode. Only text size in third party apps is way too small which is very annoying to be honest. Another + for the 12 Mini compared to the normal 12. I think I will return the 12, not keeping it as a second device. I wouldn't lose much money if I would resell it some months later. But I just don't use it, it always lays on the table. Always taking the 12 Mini with me.

I have a very similar situation to yours.

Well, so thankful for your input. It doesn’t matter to me that it was longer. I’m so happy with mini but at the same time I feel the 12 is so big for my hands and absolutely joke for using in one hand (for me, it any other here would want to dispute that fact again) compared to mini which is fabulous in using one hand.

I just had to confess, that during my testing I even considered buying 11 Pro as a succesor to my previous XS (better for handling with one hand and still usable with both for typing). I had a few moments when I thought about iOS being adapted to mini is kinda crampled. Maybe it’s because it has scaled resolution from 5,8” - which I think is the best adapted iOS experience. Agreed that bigger iPhones have so much unused space (not only mentioning the weight) but that could be fixed in future with better handling in iOS. Also “downgrading” could also come with longer battery usage and telephoto lens in contrary to mini + it’s last year’s model so it could be cheaper for me.

Only two things holds me back: design of 12 and it’s amazing white color (which I absolutely love) and iPhone 12s/13 on the horizont in few months. 😀